Selling the Change –Think Like a Sales Person . . . .

In my blog a few weeks ago “Culture Eats Strategy . . . . or Does It? ” we talked about the need to either work with, or change, corporate culture in a time of transformation.  In either case, Selling the Change is essential. Whether you are going through a transformation or NOT, change is all around us and we cannot escape it.  The ability to embrace and manage change is THE most critical competency every professional needs to have.  In a Shared Services (e.g. Procurement, Sourcing, Supply Chain, IT, Finance, HR, etc.) environment in particular, we are often called upon to lead our internal business partners through change.  Having the competency, tools and experience in selling that change can be the difference between success and failure.

Here are a few things to consider:

10 Reasons why Change Efforts Fail (The first four tie directly back to Selling the Change):

1. Lack of a clear vision
2. “What’s in it for me” is unclear
3. Senior management wants to help – doesn’t know how
4. Lack of an ongoing communication process
5. Decision processes not clearly defined
6. Failure to deliver early, real results
7. Everything is high priority
8. Old performance measures block change
9. The voice of the customer is absent
10. Stuck in the status quo or current way of thinking

Why is it important to Sell the Change:

• Establishes a “burning platform” – creates a sense of urgency
• Highlights the value of change
• Addresses  issues / concerns / fears
• Secures support and alignment
• Prepares targets / organization on  “what to expect”
• Allows you to share successes and lessons learned

So why treat selling the change from the perspective of the sales person?  The real question is Why not?  The sales process is easy to understand (that’s easy for me to say 🙂 !), has stood the test of time and can work for anything you are trying to sell – so why not CHANGE?

Here are the Top Ten Critical Selling Principles:

• Principle #1: Identify your Market Segment (stakeholders)
• Principle #2: Know how the customer (stakeholder) likes to receive communication
• Principle #3: Build the Brand
• Principle #4: Sell the Product
• Principle #5: Educate your customer (stakeholder)
• Principle #6: Develop Effective Collateral
• Principle #7: Establish a Need / “Burning platform”
• Principle #8: Highlight the Value of Change
• Principle #9: Anticipate Objections
• Principle #10: Illustrate what Others have Achieved

Let’s take a closer look at the First 5 Principles:

Principle #1: Identify your Market Segment (stakeholders)

This one is simple – you should NEVER start a change initiative unless you have clearly identified your stakeholders and done an analysis to determine if they are a friend or a foe. This will be at the foundation of your selling plan because you need to know WHO you are selling to and what you need to sell.  This is identifying your Market Segment.  A stakeholder analysis tool and management plan must be part of your change management toolkit.

Principle #2: Know how the customer (stakeholder) likes to receive communication

This principle requires that you start to build a relationship with your customer – in this case your stakeholder.  Understanding how your stakeholder feels about the change will be important as you develop your ongoing communication strategy.

Principle #3: Build the Brand

It may sound hokey but branding a change initiative is a way to draw attention to the product (change) and the VALUE the product (change) will deliver.  If you are going to brand – name, logo, packaging, messages MUST all be aligned with the VALUE.

Principle #4: Sell the Product

Selling is a team sport!  Not only should your change agents (e.g. category managers, sourcing leads, supply chain leaders) sell but also you should engage executives, sponsors and supportive business unit personnel to help you sell.  Provide them with the tools they will need to be effective.

Principle #5: Educate your customer (stakeholder)

Customers (stakeholders) who understand what you are selling are more likely to buy.  People can’t support what they can’t understand. The goal is to have “committed” stakeholders, not just blind compliance.  Understanding can win over resistors.  Keep in mind that education is not “training”. Training teaches the HOW – Education teaches the WHY.

I hope I have started to sell you (educate) on why Selling the Change requires you to think and act like a salesperson.  I have run out of time (and word count) so I will finish up next time.

 Let us know what you think and join in the conversation . . . . . .